Beacons of hope
by TheDivineLotus989
Summary: Lydia receives words of encouragement from an unlikely source. He is something alright.


He has been catching glimpses of that red hair more often these days. It's not just at the crime scenes that deputy Parrish sees Lydia, it's near the station, the parks, everywhere. The 'intuitive' girl, as chief Stillinski calls her, has an incredibly lonely feel about her.

This confused Parrish a lot. Lydia would be the kind of girl that surrounds herself with friends; someone who wraps the eye of the society around her finger and organizes parties, breaking a few rules by buying the alcohol with a fake id. If he had a penny every time he caught a teen with one of those, he would have the five million dollars that some wacko estimated him to be worth.  
She was the last person he expected to see near dead bodies, with high heels drenched in their guts.

As he was doing his usual rides throughout the town, he sees her once more as she comes out of the cemetery. It is Friday, he noted.  
As he recalls, last Friday she was walking down this same street with flowers in her arms. It doesn't take a genius to assume that she is visiting someone's resting place. Curiosity peeked, he decided that on next Friday he'll follow after her into the graveyard. Call it an instinct, it'd be prudent to check on the teen, for her own safety.

Once the last class bell rang , Lydia stopped by the flower shop to pick up her usual order of Carnations. She could not wait to get away from the noises surrounding her. She has been extra sensitive and wary of voices, any casual sounds really. She feared hearing even an inclination of a whisper that could come out as a name of one of her friends. The Beacon Hills graveyard has grew considerably over the years. The earth was was fresh and smelled strongly after rain. There was a new hole digged out, the girl noticed somberly. For _her._ Even if sometimes, the church did not allow people who committed suicide to be buried with others, Lydia hoped that the girl's poor soul will find peace. The pain is finally gone. Her years of solitude and looking out the window of the Eichen house have come to an end. If Stiles was not committed there, no one would have known that Meredith Walker existed. The red head looked away and turned around the corner, where a tall mausoleum cast shadow on the benches. 

Allison was not buried in that thing. Her grave was outside, near a wonderful smelling tree which provided serenity. In life she was so radiant. In death, the sun caresses the marble tombstone. "Hey Allison.." Lydia's voice was scratchy from being silent. She placed the flowers in a vase. Someone cleaned up before her. Mr. Argent must be visiting her on different days, as they have never met. There was something new near the vase. A single bullet, with fleur de lis mark on it.  
The girl sat on the bench and crossed her hands in her lap, straightening out the creases on her floral skirt.

"It's..really bad out here. Scott's beta went missing. The ones who kidnapped him ended up dead and he might have died in torment if he hadn't called out. We are being surrounded from all sides. If the assassins are not after us, your aunt preys on every step.  
We cracked the final code at the cost of another's life and I can't help but feel so inadequate. So helpless." She pressed her ears firmly.

"I want to be stronger than this, but it feels like all my strength has gone with you. I need you..I need my friend."

"I don't know what to do, I'm scared. All the time." She whispered.

"Lydia?" 

She lifted her head slowly and her eyes met those of the deputy. He was standing a few feet away watching her tentatively. Meaning he had witnessed her meltdown. And he probably heard everything. Nice one Lydia.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your time with your friend." He cleared his throat. Now that he saw the inscription, an image of a dark haired girl came to mind, the one that got killed by those odd ninja warriors.

"It's alright. Allison and I were having a little chat. She was always a great listener." Lydia quickly dabbed at her eyes.

Deputy Parrish's face was awed."You..you can see her? Is she here?" He moved away from another grave as if he thought that he'd be offending a ghost by stepping there or accidentally bumping him.  
"No. I can't see her." Lydia sounded a little offended because of the deputy's tone. It was on the border line of indulging a child in their fantasies. She had to remember that few people knew she was a banshee.

"I'm sorry." Jordan tried once more."It'd be nice if you could see her. I'm sure she'd be able to give you a proper advice on your troubles. I had a grandmother who would always say the right things. No matter the occasion, she knew to calm down people."

She did not know what to make of him. Parrish was on the hit list yet he appeared so benevolent, so approachable and it was both uncertain and dangerous at this point. If someone can fool people into putting their trust in them and play the fool so well about the supernatural incidences all this time, he would be a formidable enemy. He was worth five million on the same level as Kira's mother who was a powerful kitsune. Wariness should be exercised.

"It'be nice that she is not dead at all." It'd be nice that once in a while good people show on your doorstep and you hold them in your arms for hours and thank whatever God for making it possible. Not Kate. Not Peter.

"It is not fair. And it still happens. There is nothing more tragic than child going before their parent. One of the reasons I am doing this job is to prevent things like this from happening too often. Obviously..I am not doing a good job."  
He said with a solemn look directed towards the grave.

"You can't be at all places at once." Lydia provided. She understood the feeling.

"At the end of days like that, you go home and you ask yourself: Why haven't I gone just another round? I could have prevented that mugging or pulled out that person off the bridge. Because you know you have your own special talents, so why not use them at the right moment and save everyone?" He looked up at the sky.

"Because we can't control everything.." It felt easier to ponder over similar thoughts when someone else was voicing them.

Parrish nodded. "That is right. What we can do, is give our all. And remember, that we are not alone. Help comes to those who seek it. "

"Not to mention that you have great friends. That sherif's kid, I see a future aspiring detective in him. Concerning Scott McCall, he should run for the mayor. I've never seen a boy his age have such effect on people. They stop and listen to him. They can't help but fall in his step. And you, I hear, crack codes like it's a joke to you. There is no reason for this town to be afraid. Not while it still has young people like you."

It was her turn to listen silently in awe. No matter how you looked at it, the things this person spoke to her. They healed. They reached through stone walls without smashing them. Calmly, none protrudingly, they crept and layered the wound. He was something.

She scoffed. "Young people like us? You make it sound like you are older than you claim to be, deputy Parrish."

He let out a small laugh."To your generation I am ancient. Even if I am twenty four and counting."

Twenty four. Yeah right.

"This was completely inappropriate." He scolded himself for laughing in such place.

"You know what is inappropriate? Your partner's behavior." She teared a piece of grass.  
"Ah. I can't say anything in his defense. He is a jerk. To everyone."

And so, two beacons of hope remained to stand tall until sunset came down. Then they went home.


End file.
